Onion & Tomato Masala

Ingredients
Yellow or White Onions: 4 – 5, medium size
Ginger: 2 inch thick
Garlic Cloves: 20
Tomato Paste: 1 can, 6 oz (or 6 fresh large tomatoes, chopped)
Oil: 4 tablespoons
Salt: ½ teaspoon
Water: 1 tablespoon

Steps
1. Coarsely chop onion, ginger, and garlic together in a chopper.
2. Heat oil in a large size pan on medium.
3. Add onion, garlic and ginger to pan.
4. Add salt.
5. Sauté till golden brown.
6. Add tomato paste and water.
7. Stir and cook till the oil separates.
8. Cool and store in a dry container in the refrigerator.


Chefs’ Note: This masala will be used in many recipes on this blog.
Adding salt will make the onion sweat faster.
We use canola oil because it’s odorless. Vegetable oil imparts odor to this masala/dish.

Chicken Do Pyaza

Ingredients
Skinless, boneless, chicken thighs: 1 lb. (5 thighs), cut into bite size pieces
Medium Size Onion: 1, cut into 1-inch squares
Green or Red Bell Pepper: 1, cut into 1-inch squares
Onion & Tomato Masala*: 1 heaping tablespoon
Tomato puree: 3 tablespoons (or one fresh medium sized tomato, chopped)
Oil: 1 teaspoon
Salt: to taste
Red Chilli Powder: 1 teaspoon
Cumin Powder: 1 teaspoon
Meat Masala: 1 teaspoon
Homemade Garam Masala*: a pinch
Green Chillies: 4 – 5, cut in length
Coriander Leaves: chopped, 2 tablespoons
Unsalted Butter: 1 tablespoon
Lime or Lemon Juice: 1 tablespoon

Steps
1. Heat oil in a medium sized pan on medium heat.
2. Add chicken and tomato puree.
3. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Check chicken if it’s cooked. (Chefs’ Note: Don’t worry about the water in the pan.)
5. Add onion, bell pepper, and Onion & Tomato Masala and mix.
6. Add salt, red chilli powder, cumin powder, and meat masala.
7. Continue to cook on medium heat until there’s no curry left.
8. Add Garam Masala, green chillies, coriander leaves, butter and mix.
9. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on high heat.
10. Add limejuice and serve with naan or roti.

Chefs' Note: We use chicken thigh meat because the breast meat becomes dry and chewy.
You can use center cut boneless pork chops instead of chicken if you prefer to make Pork Do Pyaza.


*This recipe is posted on the blog.

Homemade Garam Masala

Ingredients
Star Anise: 1 – 2
Black Cardamom: 6
Black Peppercorn: 2 teaspoon
Cinnamon: 10 inches
Cloves: 1 tablespoon
Green Cardamom: 2 tablespoon
Mace: 1 blade
Nutmeg: 1

Steps
1. Take out a small shallow pan.
2. Heat all the ingredients on low heat for few minutes.
3. Remove the ingredients in a plate.
4. When the ingredients are cooled, finely grind in a coffee grinder.
5. Store in an airtight container.




Chef’s Note: This garam masala is used in many of the recipes on this blog.

Cream Chicken (like Chawala’s Chicken, from Ludhiana)

Ingredients
Skinless, boneless chicken thighs: 1 lb. (5 thighs), cut into bite size pieces
Sour cream: 1 cup
Ginger: 1 inch, finely chopped
White onion: ½ of a medium size, finely chopped
Oil: 1 tablespoon
Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Methi): 2 tablespoons
Finely Ground Black Pepper: 1 ½ teaspoons – increase to your liking (NOT the freshly ground, from pepper mill)
Cumin Powder: 1 tablespoon
Homemade Garam Masala*: ¼ tablespoon
Salt: to taste (I hate to say that, but you can start with ¾ of a teaspoon and adjust later)
Green Chillies: 4, cut lengthwise (Thai chillies, NOT jalapeños)

Steps
1. Heat oil in a medium sized pan on medium.
2. Add onions and ginger and let it sweat for two minutes.
3. Turn the heat to low medium.
4. Add sour cream. (Keep patience and DON’T turn the heat up otherwise, the cream will curdle)
5. Add the fenugreek leaves, pepper, cumin powder, garam masala and salt.
6. Stir and let it simmer for ten minutes.
7. Add chicken and green chillies.
8. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes or till the chicken is cooked on low heat.
9. Taste for salt and adjust.
10. Serve with white bread (roti or naan, if you prefer), red onions with lime or lemon, and cilantro chutney and enjoy.


*This recipe is posted on the blog.

Introduction

All over the world, there are many excellent male chefs. But, when it comes to cooking at home, men are stumbled. We have created this blog to promote easy and delicious multi cultural cuisine with a special emphasis on North Indian cooking. Have Fun Cooking!

We just started blogging, and later we will add restaurant reviews and recipes.

Enjoy!